Solve for $x$. $-4.5 = -0.5(x-7.1)$
Let's divide and then add to get $x$ by itself. $\begin{aligned}-4.5 &= -0.5(x-7.1)\\ \\\\ \dfrac{-4.5 }{{-0.5}} &= \dfrac{-0.5(x-7.1)}{{-0.5}} ~~~~~~~\text{divide each side by } {-0.5}\\ \\ \dfrac{-4.5 }{{-0.5}}&=\dfrac{\cancel{-0.5}\left(x-7.1\right)}{\cancel{{-0.5}}} \\ \\ \dfrac{-4.5}{{-0.5}} &= x-7.1\end{aligned}$ $\begin{aligned} 9&=x-7.1\\ \\ 9 {+7.1}&= x-7.1{+7.1}~~~~~~~{\text{add }7.1} \text{ to each side} \text{ to get } x \text{ by itself }\\ \\ 9{+7.1}&= x-\cancel{ 7.1} {{+}\cancel{{7.1}}}\\ \\ 9{+7.1}&=x\end{aligned}$ The answer: $x={16.1}$ Let's check to make sure. $\begin{aligned} -4.5 &= -0.5(x-7.1) \\\\ -4.5 &\stackrel{?}{=}-0.5({16.1}-7.1) \\\\ -4.5&\stackrel{?}{=} -0.5(9) \\\\ -4.5 &= -4.5 ~~~~~~~~~~\text{Yes!} \end{aligned}$